Judge Judy

One of reality TV's most influential women, the smart and acid-tongued Judge Judith Sheindlin kicked off a television programming revolution in the mid-1990's, thanks to the success of her self-titled courtroom reality show, "Judge Judy" (syndicated, 1996- ). The first courtroom show to air on American television since "The People's Court" (syndicated, 1981-1993), "Judge Judy" was credited with resurrecting the genre and opening the doors for countless imitators. In addition to spawning such copycats as "Judge Joe Brown" (syndicated, 1997- ) "Divorce Court" (syndicated, 1999- ), "Judge Hatchett" (syndicated, 2000- ) and the home-spun "Texas Justice" (syndicated, 2001-05), "Judge Judy" also paved the way for the return of the newly reincarnated "The People's Court" in 1997 and proved that Judge Judith Sheindlin was not only a tough cookie, but a trailblazer for television justice.